Concealed Carry Corner: Top 5 Guns For Deep Concealment
Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we talked about ways to be successful while carrying a concealed firearm. If you happened to miss that article, be sure to click the link here to check it out and get caught up. This week, I wanted to talk about some of the smaller carry pistols and how they can be some of the easiest to carry but also some of the hardest to shoot. There are plenty of fantastic options so why not look at some of the best on the market? Let’s take a closer look at the top 5 guns for deep concealment.
1. Glock 43
When it comes to compact 9mm single stack pistols, it’s hard to beat the Glock 43 in terms of firepower and the ability to easily conceal this little pocket pistol. It isn’t a bulky gun by any means but offers the user a decent amount of capacity for the size with 6 rounds of 9mm. Aftermarket support for the original 43 and 43x is fantastic with endless options for aftermarket parts and configurations. With magazine extensions, you can also make it feel like a larger pistol in the hand but I personally like to carry it with the smaller flush-fit magazine to keep it small and compact.
In the past, I’ve carried my G43 in everything from a small IWB claw holster to a minimalist pocket holster. Carrying in formal clothing or just throwing a small gun in your coat to run to the store becomes simple when you have guns like the Glock 43, it becomes really simple to carry and allows you to be armed when having a larger firearm wouldn’t be possible. You can still find G43s on the used market for an affordable price which makes this an easy choice for deep concealment where you can’t carry a larger firearm.
2. Smith & Wesson 340 PD or Airweight
One of the oldest options if you want to have a lightweight firearm to protect yourself with has to be the small revolver category. I have been personally carrying my 340 PD from Smith & Wesson for roughly 6 months now and it has been a fantastic little gun to throw in your pocket or wear in a holster. These styles of small revolvers are exceptionally easy to carry and depending on your configuration can be a small pocket cannon with options like the 340 PD being chambered in .357 Mag and being only 11 ounces unloaded.
These guns can be brutal to fire with full magnum-powered loads but they are certainly a great option to carry a lot of firepower in a small package. These are fantastic backup gun options which is why countless police departments issue them as standard backup guns to officers. Whether it’s a pocket carry, ankle carry, or carrying it in a small holster, these air weight style revolvers are some of the best options if you want to carry a reliable gun without having the hassle of struggling to conceal it.
3. SIG Sauer P365
Ever since the original P365 hit the market back in 2018, it has been a very popular mainstream carry gun with more and more companies producing aftermarket products ranging from sights to frames. With the ability to change frames, it’s easy to make the perfect carry gun for you. Although the XL and Macro options are popular, the original 10-round P365 is one of the easiest to conceal with its short profile and light weight.
The original model can easily be slid into a pocket with a pocket holster and comfortably carried all day. One of the biggest selling points of the P365 is the ability to switch out the slide and frames to any size you’d want to carry. This means you can throw the larger Macro grip on to train at the range with, then switch the frame back to the standard 10-round variant to allow it to be as small as possible to carry concealed. Having the ability to swap out and customize your carry gun on the fly like that can really allow you to have multiple different configurations on a single gun.
4. Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 1.0 and 2.0
This wouldn’t be a good deep concealment list without including one handgun that’s chambered in .380 Auto. Personally, I prefer 9mm for carry just for the slight velocity increase and energy transfer but some would rather have the ability to carry an even smaller gun for convenience. There are a few different options out there but the Bodyguard series from Smith & Wesson has always been one of my favorites in that size category. When it comes to ergonomics and comfort, the bodyguard is one of the easiest microguns to shoot.
These are still a handful to shoot and can be really snappy but it’s certainly better than having nothing if you find yourself in a self-defense situation. These are some of the lightest options out there and come with a manual safety if that’s something that is important to you as well. The biggest benefit to the Bodyguard or any of the super small micro-style pistols on the market is the fact they are incredibly easy to conceal in almost any pocket so you’re always armed even though 380 isn’t known for being a man-stopper exactly. These super small pistols certainly have their place though and deserve a spot on this list.
5. Glock 48
Out of everything on this list, the Glock 48 is the largest handgun but there certainly is a place for this gun when thinking about deep concealment. The Glock 48 has a 4” barrel and you can have a 15-round capacity with the Shield Arms magazines. If you have a larger build and a big enough body type, these guns are very easy to conceal with not much effort.
I really enjoy the slightly larger frame that allows me to have a full grip on the pistol. Having a slimmer gun but keeping the 15-round capacity allows you to have the same capacity as the larger Glock 19 but with only half of the mass and bulk with the G48. This pistol is one of my favorites from Glock because it offers really good capacity but keeps the mass down to a minimum. If you haven’t checked out the Glock 48, I highly suggest you take a look at one.
Overall Thoughts
There are countless options when it comes to very small carry guns, but these are by far my favorite options when I want to carry the bare minimum to protect myself. This list certainly isn’t a comprehensive list of every micro pistol that can be used to deep conceal so no one can see you carrying. Let me know what your favorite carry guns are down in the comments below. If you have questions about carry guns or firearms in general, feel free to shoot me a message on Instagram @fridgeoperator. Stay safe out there and we will see you next week for another edition of Concealed Carry Corner.